Whitman or Occidental?

I just got back from Admitted Students Day at Whitman and am in a bind. I have whittled down my 7 college acceptances to 2 – Whitman and Occidental – but I can’t decide between them! Last week I was at Oxy and left L.A. thinking it was my #1 choice, but now that I’m back from Whitman, I just don’t know. Does anyone have any advice?

Both Whitman and Oxy are small LAC’s with bright students, great academic programs and accessible professors. Oxy has a wonderful student research program and lots of shadowing/internship opportunities in the area. I suppose that I do feel somewhat more “at home” at Whitman, but I also like the diversity of the student body at Oxy. Yet… I have a suspicion that the kids at Whitman might be a little smarter. Walla Walla is great and I love the Whitman community, but it would be such a great adventure living in L.A.

Help! I can’t decide…

Congratulations, you’ve got two very good choices. I read a technique for choosing presented here on CC a few years ago, and I’ve tried it a few times, so I think it has merit. Flip a coin, heads you’ll go to Whitman, tails you’ll go to Oxy, or visa versa; then pay attention to whether you feel hope that it’ll land a certain way or disappointment when it does land a certain way. I know it sounds kind of silly, but in the midst of analysis paralysis it can give you a glimpse at your underlying feelings.

Coin flipping aside, you sound more excited about Oxy. Whitman is a great school, and I love Walla Walla, but if you’re thinking about what a great adventure LA will be, then Walla Walla may end up being too small pretty quickly.

Oxy does seem like more of an adventure to me, but I can’t deny that being at Whitman just makes me happy. My dad says that it’s like a cult (everyone’s so happy) which may be true, but in the best possible way!

My son was at Whitman for four years and he wasn’t happy every minute. He had the normal ups and downs of life: broken love affairs, stolen bikes, a couple teachers he wasn’t very fond of, etc. There isn’t any Kool Aid to drink or mass hypnosis undertaken; there is just a very responsive administration, a gorgeous campus, smart engaged students and faculty, and an underlying philosophy that students should try new things and have some fun along the way. The overriding philosophy is that everyone should be treated humanely. Do all those things and the student body tends to be happy.

@LaurenBa Could you please keep us posted on which one you eventually choose/chose and why? I’m also considering these two colleges!

I ended up deciding on Whitman. I really liked the feel of the place and all of the people that I met seemed really smart, well-spoken and engaged. I’m really looking forward to it!

LaurenBa, thanks for letting us know. I hope you have a wonderful experience at Whitman.